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It’s in the lines and spaces in between where Anton del Castillo’s faith in our capacity to emerge triumphant from sin resides. Discover more about the idea here
The entry point to Anton del Castillo’s intent—especially in his art—has almost always been sin. This is apparent in his latest solo exhibition, Desires, from September 16 to October 1 at ArtistSpace, Greenbelt Park, Makati City.
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Expect a show that lies in the artist’s deepest torments: golden canvases that critique our propensity to material greed, or resin assemblages that fear bloodshed amid wrath. It is the idiom of sin broken down to reveal its valences: hostile, destructive, and self-afflicted; yet still capable of release.
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Even if sin is the entry point in each piece, hope remains a key in an optimistic dualism that constitutes Del Castillo’s intentions.
In this solo exhibition at Arte Bettina, Del Castillo executes the same operation which is wickedness taken apart to yearn for release, but this time with desire as the “apparatus” of his schemes.
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Del Castillo renders desire in various typologies. They assume as many configurations as desire can take shape: desires of the flesh, of material excess, of dominion, of acclaim. They represent carnal desires that lend no mercy to those who seek to resist.
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It isn’t in the artist’s vocabulary to embrace sin. In his pieces for Desires, Del Castillo eventually subverts his initial proposition to reckon a move faithful to our power to resist. We recognise Desire for all that it is and for its inevitability, but whatever comes after is a fate left to our hands.
Desires will be open to the public from September 16 to October 1 at the ArtistSpace in Greenbelt Park, Makati City. There will be an artist reception on September 20.
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Credits
Artwork: Anton del Castillo
Images: Arte Bettina
Topics
Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
